Tool holder

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for holding a hand-held tool is provided. The apparatus includes a band for securing around a tool handle and a belt clip to which the band can be engaged in order to suspend the tool to the waist. An elongated strap is connectable, at one end, to the tool band and, at the other end, to the pants. The strap may be worn as a harness, and it suspends the tool when the tool hangs disengaged from the belt clip.

This utility application claims the benefit of design application 29/206,004

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a tool holder, and it is specifically directed to a belt clip and harness strap assembly for safely securing to one's person a cordless, hand held tool.

The prior art is replete with various embodiments of tool holding devices. Many of the prior art tool holders feature a belt clip or other fastening device that is attached to the user's pant garment and that is adapted to suspend a hand-held tool from, or they include body harnesses from which tools may be hanged. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,560 to Kahn discloses a tool holder adaptor comprising an adjustable tie cable capable of being constricted around the flange-ended handle of a power tool such that the tool can then be suspended from a compatible belt clip hook member. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,011 to Kahn discloses a hand-held tool holder comprising a strap, a belt clip and an angled hook device. In this assembly, the hook device is retained by the belt clip, and the strap is tightened around a tool handle and then placed onto the hook to suspend the tool from the user's belt. U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,125 to Grover discloses a locking tool holder which is to be mounted on a user's belt or pocket and is capable of receiving and clamping onto a hand tool. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,179 to Hillis provides a tool harness comprising a single strap loop to be placed diagonally across a user's body such that it extends from one shoulder toward the opposite hip. Rather than incorporating a belt clip, the harness disclosed in the Hillis patent includes a hook, at its lower apex, which is to be threaded through the ring commonly found at the base of power tools.

Generally, these and other prior art tool holding devices are not completely without disadvantage, however. To wit, preferred embodiments of many such tool holders feature, or suggest the cooperative use of, jutting flanges or hooked parts that could potentially scrape or even lacerate the user, thus, posing a latent safety risk. Furthermore, many prior art tool holders are constructed so as to allow a tool to be suspended from either a belt clip or body harness element, but do not include a backup support element that could prevent the tool from falling to the ground or onto a user's foot in the event that the tool is accidentally dropped or detached from the primary suspension element of the tool holder. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a need for a tool holder apparatus of safe construct that provides alternative suspending support for a tool. The tool holder of the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a tool holder apparatus comprised of a belt clip, a shoulder strap and a tool handle band. The belt clip is to be placed over the user's belt or pant pocket. The tool band is tightened around the handle of the tool to be held, and then the band is coupled to the belt clip by way of sliding a button, which projects from the band, into a vertical slot residing within the belt clip. Male and female parts of a quick-release connector are attached to ends of the tool band and shoulder strap, respectively, and a D-clamp is attached at the opposite end of the strap. So, with the connector end of the shoulder strap attached to the tool band and the belt clip secured next to the right hip, a user may: (1) latch the clamp end of the strap onto a pant belt loop adjacent to the left hip, (2) drape the strap up and around the rear neck and then down toward the belt clip and (3) couple the tool band to the belt clip. The tool will then suspend from the belt clip. Alternatively, when the tool band is detached from the clip, the shoulder strap allows the tool to be dangled from the user's shoulders.

It is, therefore, an object of the instant invention to provide a tool holding apparatus that presents minimal risk of injury to the user. The present tool holder does not feature any hooks, and the belt clip component has no jutting or protruding parts that could potentially wound the user. Furthermore, the shoulder strap can function as a safety support in that it can suspend a tool and prevent it from dropping onto the user's foot if the handle band accidentally disengages from the belt clip.

It is another object of the invention to provide tool holder adapted for use with a plethora of hand-held tools and by virtually any user. The tool handle band can be expanded or contracted to securely fit around the handle portion of the particular tool to be held. Furthermore, the length of the shoulder strap can be selectively adjusted so that the shoulder strap is slacked or very slightly taut when it is spanned from its end attachment at one hip, up and over the shoulders and down to its other end attachment to the tool band which is coupled to the belt clip at the other hip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the tool holder of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the tool holder;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the tool holder;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front elevational view of the tool holder, shown being used as intended; and

FIG. 5 shows isolated top plan, front perspective and front elevational views of the belt clip component of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with the present invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a tool holder apparatus comprising a tool handle band 10, a safety shoulder strap 20, a D-clamp 40 and a belt clip 30. However, the invention can alternatively be practiced with merely a tool band 10 and belt clip 30.

The tool handle band 10 is, preferably, a short strap fabricated of vinyl or leather. Adhered to a side of the band 10 are adjacent strips of hook fasteners 11 and loop fasteners 13. Also along the band 10 is a metal button 16 comprising a stem 18 and a head 17. The stem 18 is affixed to the band 10 and spaces the head 17 from the band's surface. A sewn loop end of the band 10 retains the male part 53 of a nylon quick-release buckle of a type well-known in the art. Adjacent the buckle 53 is a nylon D-ring 14.

The free end of the band 10 is to be curled around the handle portion of a tool such that much of the band 10 forms a loop in which the button head 17 and loop fasteners 13 are on the outer surface. Then, the band 10 is drawn through the D-ring 14 until the band 10 is tightly wrapped around the tool. The segment of the band pulled through the D-ring 14 is then folded back so that the separate strips of hook and loop fasteners 11, 13 are in facing relation, and the band is secured to the tool by pressing together the fastener strips 11, 13. FIG. 4 shows the band 10 wrapped around the handle of a power tool 60.

The shoulder strap 20 is a strip of material identical to that of the tool band 10, but is considerably longer. Along the strap 20 is a nylon adjustment buckle 26 through which a segment of the strap 20 is threaded to form a looped proximal end 23. The female part of the quick-release buckle 51 is retained at the proximal end 23, and it is snapped onto the male part 53 to connect the shoulder strap 20 to the tool band 10. The adjustment buckle 26 allows the strap 20 to be lengthened or shortened as may be desired. Along the approximate middle of the strap 20 is a strip of padding 24. Finally, at the distal end 21 of the shoulder strap 20 is a sewn loop which retains the D-clamp 40. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the clamp 40 is to be fastened to a pants belt loop along the user's hip. If the strap 20 is then slung over the user's neck and the tool is left freely hanging beside the opposite hip, the padding 24 will cushion the weight load that is delivered, via the strap 20, to the user's neck and shoulders.

The belt clip 30 comprises two distinct parts: steel spring clip 32 and a plastic receptacle 36. The spring clip 32 is of a type well-known in the art, and it is riveted to the back of the receptacle 36. As best illustrated in FIG. 5, the receptacle 36 is a generally rectangular molded plastic article having a vertical slot 37 within it. The slot 37 forms an opening along the top of the receptacle 36, and a narrower, contiguous opening 39 propagates down the middle of the front face of the receptacle 36. The tool band 10 is, therefore, coupled to the belt clip 30 by inserting the button head 17 into the slot 37 and then allowing the weight of the band-secured tool 60 to hold the button head 17 down within the slot 37. The receptacle's front opening 39 is narrower than the diameter of the button head 17, but is wider than the diameter of the button stem 18. Therefore, while the button head 17 is lodged within the slot 37, the button stem 18 protrudes and may travel along the front opening 39 while the tool band 10 remains outside the front face of the receptacle 36.

Although the present invention has been described in detail and with reference to and illustration of a preferred version, it should be understood that other versions, which are not illustrated, are contemplated as being a part of the present invention. 

1. A tool holder comprising: a band for securing about the handle portion of a hand-held tool, the band including an engaging element; a strap having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end fastens to the band; means for connecting the distal end of the strap to a user's pants; and a belt clip for securing to a user's pants waist and for engaging with the band, thus, allowing the tool to be suspended from the belt clip.
 2. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein a quick-release buckle fastens the proximal end of said strap to said band.
 3. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the size of said band may be selectively adjusted to fittingly secure to the tool.
 4. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a D-clamp, wherein the clamp is attached to the distal end of said strap and can be further attached to the user's pants.
 5. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein said strap can be draped over the user's shoulders in harness fashion and wherein a portion of said strap is padded for neck and shoulder comfort.
 6. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the length of said strap is selectively adjustable.
 7. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein said belt clip comprises: a spring clip; and a receptacle affixed to the spring clip, wherein said band is engageable with the receptacle.
 8. The tool holder of claim 7, wherein said receptacle has a vertical slot therewithin for retaining said engaging element, wherein said engaging element may be slidably inserted into the slot and the weight of the band-secured tool effectively holds said engaging element down within the slot, thereby keeping said band secured to said belt clip and the tool suspended therefrom.
 9. A tool holder comprising: a band for securing about the handle portion of a hand-held tool, the band including an engaging element; and a belt clip for securing to a user's pants waist and for engaging with the band, thus, allowing the tool to be suspended from the belt clip.
 10. The tool holder of claim 9, wherein the size of said band may be selectively adjusted to fittingly secure to the tool.
 11. The tool holder of claim 9, wherein said belt clip comprises: a spring clip; and a receptacle affixed to the spring clip, wherein said band is engageable with the receptacle.
 12. The tool holder of claim 11, wherein said receptacle has a vertical slot therewithin for retaining said engaging element, wherein said engaging element may be slidably inserted into the slot and the weight of the band-secured tool effectively holds said engaging element down within the slot, thereby keeping said band secured to said belt clip and the tool suspended therefrom. 